Wednesday, October 16, 2013

This is strictly a hobby of mine.I never attended art school or anything like
that.I have a day job that is the
furthest thing from Halloween, so this is something that helps keep me sane.

It
seems each year has a theme. What have you got planned for 2013?

I try to mix it up each year to push
myself creatively.This year is going to
be about my obsession with scarecrows:The Scarecrow Catacomb.

Do
you set this up at your house? Or are you finding locations that best suit the
themes?

The Halloween Haunt is always at my
house.The photo shoots are done
throughout the year at different locations.The location depends on the prop.It might be at an abandoned farm, an old cemetery, or a muddy
swamp.My wife and I have a blast
scouting locations and planning weekends around the shoots.

Do
you leave them up in the locations after you've taken photos for people to
discover?

I’ve left a few of my props
behind.The Jenny Greenteeth swamp shoot
was tricky since the prop was getting waterlogged and very soft.I left her behind and checked back on her a
week later – she was gone.I’d like to
think a few people saw her from a nearby road before she was swept away by a
storm that rolled in shortly after.

What
are people’s reactions to the displays?

The reactions have always been very
positive.Most people ask me where I
purchased the Halloween props, so it’s always fun to tell them that I made
them.

Your
stuff looks a bit more visceral and scary than your average haunted lawns we've
seen in films like American Scary.What
has the response been from the neighbourhood? Are people genuinely terrified of
your displays?

The neighbors have always been very
excited to see what I have up my sleeve.They’ve grown accustomed to a new theme every year.Sometimes I wonder if my displays are too
dark for smaller children though, since a lot of the younger ones are hesitant
to approach, or refuse altogether.I’ve
seen parents dragging their kids up to the porch and I can’t help but think
I’ve caused some trauma in their little brains.Though I remember my days of trick-or-treating, and I lived for that ONE spooky house.

Have
you had to censor anything?

My Corn Witch display was probably
the most disturbing, with bound and desecrated corpses.I got a few emails from folks asking why I
went in that direction.I told them I
was just following the voices in my head.Blood and gore is something I probably would never do.I always felt that dried withered organs are
more terrifying than bright red ones, though the few times I’ve made bloody
props for photo shoots, I’ve been surprised how much I enjoyed making them.

Are
they animatronic? Or is this something you've considered?

My props aren’t animatronic.I’m strictly a static prop guy.I try to achieve a potential for movement - an appearance that my props are in a
moment of rest, or that they’re waiting. I've found that the static props that
work best are the ones that look like they've just paused for a brief moment.

Where
do you find the material?

I work cheap.My props are mostly duct tape, pvc piping,
and clumped-up newspaper.Their skin is mostly
paper towels and cheesecloth dipped in glue mache.And the hundreds of sticks and branches I’ve
used over the years are absolutely free of charge.

Is
it an all year thing for you to prep each year?

It really is an all-year event for
me.I try to have the following year’s
theme in mind so I can start work right after each Halloween.It isn’t unusual for neighbors to see me in
the yard building something creepy and strange in the middle of Winter, and I
think they’ve come to expect it in the warmer months.

What
is Swamp Foetus The Film?

Swamp
Foetus was something I’ve always wanted to
do – make a practical effect short film, in the tradition of something like The Dark Crystal…with large
human-operated props.I built a
life-sized Witch puppet that was operated by my wife as I shot the footage
using the video setting on an old digital camera.Prop-building, scouting locations, shooting,
and editing took way longer than I had expected – about eight months.It’s a silent film, and the wonderful musical
score by my good friend Jon Glassett provided its incredible dark voice.We wanted Swamp
Foetus to be a love letter to Halloween, and we couldn’t be more proud of
the final result.

You
mentioned your stuff was noticed by a director who was referred to your work by
Stan Winston studios.

Any
other plans to create props for films?

I was contacted a year ago by
director Karl Mueller.He was looking
for someone to build a bunch of scarecrows for his independent film Mr. Jones.After posting on Stan Winston’s Facebook page
for a scarecrow artist, he received the message:“One word:Pumpkinrot.”After a few
discussions with him, I was hooked on his concept and agreed to build a dozen
scarecrows in one month’s time, and then have them shipped from Pennsylvania to
Los Angeles.I took two weeks off from
work and spent every possible minute building them.The entire month was a blur.This past April, we travelled to New York to
see the premiere of Mr. Jones at the
Tribeca Film Festival.It was a surreal
experience to see my work on the big screen.And especially thrilling since we found out the day before that the
movie had been picked up by Anchor Bay for North American distribution and will
be released soon.

I credit my love of Halloween and
Scarecrows for getting me that gig since I never really thought I’d be a part
of something like that.I don’t have any
current plans for making movie props, but I’d certainly love the opportunity
again.

What
do you like to see in a haunted attraction?

I’m a huge fan of organic elements
and atmosphere.For me, it’s more about
the smell of toasted jack o’lantern lids than about chainsaws and jump
scares.There’s a haunted attraction in
New Hampshire called Haunted Overload, with massive towering scarecrows and
giant gaping-mouthed creatures carved from real trees.It’s all about the atmosphere, and it’s pure
Halloween to me.

Do
you go to haunted attraction conventions?

I’m a pretty private (and antisocial)
guy, so I don’t attend the haunted attraction conventions.I hear they’re awesome though, so maybe one
of these years I’ll attend.

Very good stuff! Sorry they muffed some details in the article. Those things sometimes become endearing when you look back.Like Basil Gogos in those great ol' Famous Monsters issues you are permanently acknowledged in print. It can never be erased. I think these Rue issues will be coveted 50 years from now..Congrats!